Road-right-of-way conflicts, typhoon damages hound Cordillera SONA projects

By Dexter A. See

BONTOC, Mountain Province– Numerous controversial road-right-of-way claims and the multi-million typhoon damages as a result of recent typhoons are major hindrance in implementation of the P5.2 billion State of the Nation Address (SONA) projects of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the Cordillera.

But project implementers are working double time to complete projects before the end of the President’s term to boost agricultural and ecotourism potentials of rural areas in Mountain Province, Ifugao and Kalinga.

Engineer Alexander Castaneda, assistant regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways in the Cordillera and SONA project manager, cited road-right-of-way problems in Samoki and Bayyo, Bontoc are contributory to the delays in the concreting works and road widening projects along the Bontoc-Banaue section of the Halsema highway while similar problems in Sadanga, Mountain Province up to Lubuagan, Kalinga have stalled the construction activities along the Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao road.

The national government recently released P5.2 billion over the past three years for the complete rehabilitation of the Mount Data to Bontoc and Bontoc to Banaue sections of the Halsema highway and the whole stretch of the Bontoc-Tuguegarao road.

Aside from the serious road-right-of-way problems, Castaneda said over P200 million worth of damages suffered by the two major Cordillera trunk lines is affecting the delivery of construction aggregates to the numerous project sites since most of the roads are still narrow due to the washed out portions which cannot accommodate huge trucks loaded with sand and gravel for the contractors.

Despite serious problems, he expressed gratitude to stakeholders in communities traversed by the road networks because of their continuous vigilance to ensure the quality of work being implemented since they continuously provide information to the experts on alleged shortcomings of the contractors.

According to Castaneda, the support of the host communities and the stakeholders for the implementation and completion of quality projects is vital considering that people live in this world once, thus, they must live a legacy which the present and future generations could treasure.

He said the government has already done its part by providing funds for better roads in the countryside, thus, it is now the obligation of the stakeholders, particularly the contractors and the host communities, to make sure that there will be a smooth implementation of the projects for better economic development which will be triggered by well paved roads.

Castaneda said they are inclined to settle the road-right-of-way conflicts in a “win-win scenario” so that the government and the claimants will not be at the losing end since the primary consideration will be the benefit of better roads to the living condition of the whole community which stands to gain from it in the future once the projects will be completed.